She is back on the road
 

I have been a member for many years and have had the pleasure of reading so many peoples builds as well as learning a great deal of information on all years of trucks.

A few years ago I was living in the New Orleans area and met a bunch of great car guys. My friend “Pert” was working on a 41 Willy’s gasser and had a 91 chevy short bed that he drove every day to work. At 250k miles the fuel pump went out and he parked it in his driveway.

Every time I would visit him it hadn’t moved at all. Fast forward a couple years and it still was in the same place! I finally told him to sell it to me so I could get her going again! He said never as he was going to get around to it some day.

I moved back to Houston in 2011 and would ask about the truck annually. Still no progress and no desire to sell.

Out of the blue a year ago, Pert calls and asks if I still want the truck! Yes I said and when can I come get it? I ask if he ever fixed it and he said no.

So I hadn’t seen it in at least 5 years but I remembered it as a cool old truck with great patina. So we struck a deal and I made plans to rescue her.

After a 7 hour trip to his house I saw her for the first time in years. To put it mildly she had deteriorated badly. All the tires were flat, wasps nests every where, dash crumbling from the sun, headliner falling down, exhaust falling down and crumbling, among many other things I was not sure if I still wanted to mess with it!

But the overall body condition and that cool patina just kept calling out to me to be revived.

So we pushed it up on the trailer with a tractor and end loader and I was on my way home to Houston.

It took me awhile to get it off the trailer and into my garage as it wouldn’t even roll when I put tires with air in them. Rear brakes were locked up with rust. Kinda gives you an idea of what I was working with.


The truck has the bullet proof 4.3 v6 and a 5 speed trans. Roll up windows and the only creature comforts were a radio and air conditioning. Btw, neither worked nor did the heater!

I took pictures of the truck the day I bought her but the camera died a few days later and those were never recovered. I had a set of torque thrust two wheels and tires that fit on her so I put them on after loosening the rear brakes and got her of the trailer. Washed the 9 years of mold. Mildew and dirt off of her and pushed me it in the garage.

Here is a picture after the wash.

If you look closely, you can still see some of the mildew under the lower trim and on the rear bumper.
Attached Images

Re: She is back on the road
 

So the first order of business was to see if I could fire up the engine. After 9 plus years of sitting with crappy gas in it there was no way I would try to keep the tank.

Remember the reason it sat so long in the first place was the fuel pump shot craps so that was going to need replaced as well.

So, I ordered a battery, plugs, fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel filter, new ignition switch (as the old one required that you hold your mouth just right to actually work) and some other miscellaneous stuff.

While waiting for those I found a set of 4 inch rear lowering springs for sale on Craigslist and bought those. Also, I had enough of the drooping head liner and in a fit of rage ripped the darn thing down. It also dropped microscopic bits to the backing piece each time you moved so your hair was constantly full of the stuff. Had to go!

So after blowing out all the fuel lines and installing the new parts along with fresh oil and filter it was time to see if the starter would even turn over.

Well it did and I decided to plug the coil back in after spinning it over to see if there was any oil pressure. Walked back to see if she would fire and BAM lit up, and purred like a kitten!

Original plan was to put in a radical LS engine if the stocker wouldn’t run. Guess I will have to wait awhile on that part of the project.


So I cut a coil out of the front springs and installed the drop leafs then took her out for a drive. I quickly noticed very poor brake action, so turned around and bled the brakes as well as installing new pads up front and new wheel cylinders and shoes in the rear.

Clutch chatters a bit when the engine is cold but it is original and only has 252K on it!!! That amazes me and it actually works well when all warmed up.

Here are a couple picture of her in the lowered state and roadworthy condition. I drive her each weekend.

Re: She is back on the road
 

I had no idea how hard it was going to be to find a stock replacement dash in the same color that wasn’t completely cracked and ruined. I must have driven a few thousand miles running all over Texas to look at disappointing junk dash’s that were listed as “nice” on Craigslist.

I finally saw a small ad on Craigslist for a 91 blue truck that was being parted out. I asked the guy what condition the dash was in and he said good. Can you please send pictures I ask. He says no he doesn’t do fancy internet stuff like that and I will just have to take his word for it.

He says he will pull it out and be sure it doesn’t break or crack and call me when it is ready. He lives 3 hours away so it will be another 6 hour round trip to go look!

I call him each week for the next two months and he tells me he hasn’t had time to get to it. I am ready to give up on him and then he calls and says it is out and in one piece.

I ask how much and he asks if I have anything to trade. I ask what is he looking for? Says he needs an edelborck carb for a project he is working on and I happen to have one off a running engine I pulled out of a truck I am scrapping.

We agree to trade even up and I take the plunge on the 6 hour trip. I get there and he is no where to be found. No texting or answering the phone. I decide to eat lunch and try one more time. He answers and apologies that his phone died. We meet and load the dash in the back of my truck bed. I strap it down and pray I don’t damage it on the return ride home.

I get it home and unloaded with no issues and have to work up the courage to attempt to install it.

After a month I decide it won’t install itself so today is the day!

Here are the pics.

Re: She is back on the road
 

If you don't already have one a power washer is a huge help in tackling cleanup projects like this. It sure helped me with the '97 K2500 I have.

Re: She is back on the road
 

Which is fun about these trucks..... DIY stuff is do-able.

Re: She is back on the road
 

Yes, I do have a power washer. I didn’t get low enough on the truck the first time while getting all the mold off of it. The truck was almost green entirely when I picked it up.

Re: She is back on the road
 

I have always liked that shade of blue. Truck looks good. Keep up the work on the ole girl. She is a fine looking ride!

Re: She is back on the road
 

Looks good. My wife has a little toy Morkie (4 lbs) that looks just like your little dog.

Re: She is back on the road
 

Yea... nice blue color.....

May I suggest.... Go find some Meguiars " Wash Plus". It is for a pre-polish. It is a wash with polish, that cleans everything off the paint. ( wash it with a polishing action). Then get paste- Carnuba wax.

Re: She is back on the road
 

I have 4 trucks with faded paint. Can you provide more details about how to use these products?

I am afraid I may ruin the look or streak something. I do love the look of a polished patina truck but never have tried it myself.

Re: She is back on the road
 

Thank you for the kind words

Re: She is back on the road
 

Thank you. She is my buddy and general shadow, goes everywhere with us.

Re: She is back on the road
 

I agree!

Re: She is back on the road
 

HSRACER, I attached a photo... a sample of a friend's car-bonnet "hood". It never had a true wax job since he bought it. He only had it detailed, and they just wiped a 'high glaze' junk on it. ( The paint is way to EXPENSIVE for me to buff it out at the moment).... so, what I did:
I researched how to remove all the crap on the paint so a Mother's Carnuba Paste Wax will bond to the paint. Used Meguiar's "Wash Plus". It is a combination carwash & a sort of a polish..... So you wash the paint, but use a "polishing action" as you wash, to remove all contaminants on top of the paint. rinse as you go...... Then Use the carnuba wax in small sections as you go ( no need to let dry before wiping off, since some of your paint is not super smooth.... Wait a day, and Carnuba a second time.

The photo shows the "before/after" on the hood... The passenger side is the raw paint, and the center / driver's side is the fresh new wax. Look carefully and see how the actual paint on passenger side was pretty crappy in it's actual condition.
So, as you are concerned, your blue patina finish won't be changed.... just cleaned.

( Guess what car hood that is?? )